Developed by Northwestern University researchers, FUSE presents middle and high school students with hands-on challenges in mobile app development, 3-D printing and design, fashion design, robotics and other areas of interest to teens.

At the Humboldt Park library, teens designed their own jewelry using SketchUp, a CAD program, and then printed their designs on a MakerBot 3-D printer. The mayor left the library with two colorful bracelets and a keychain made on a MakerBot by the FUSE team.

“In the same way that players ‘level up’ in a video game, teens can ‘level up’ through FUSE challenges, which provide an engaging way for them to tackle increasingly difficult tasks,” says Kemi Jona. Jona is director of Northwestern’s Office of STEM Education Partnerships, which connects K-12 students and their teachers with the world-class STEM resources of the University.